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Wayne Newton Speaks on Dancing with the Stars

Wayne Newton on Dancing with the Stars? It wasn't a notion this crooner was excited about the first time producers came to him with the idea.

"The first time, I just laughed and said I couldn't do it," he said to TV Guide. "I wasn't mentally in a place where I was ready to apply myself to that kind of workout on a daily basis. I've worked my entire life â€" doing two shows a night, seven nights a week. But this is still a whole different ball of wax."

In his private life, Newton added:

"I deliberately have not danced a lot, because if I got out on the dance floor and started dancing and somebody came up and asked my partner to dance â€" or asked me to dance â€" I'd feel obligated to do it. And I don't want to be in that position."

Therefore, it's not surprising to hear that Newton has had no formal dance training.

"The only thing I might have done is The Jackie Gleason Show, where they put the June Taylor Dancers around me. I would just stand there and sing and sway to the music."

But dancing with a gifted professional such as Karina Smirnoff on a hit television show is another matter. This time when they asked, Newton had a change of heart.

"Blame it on age," he said. "This gives me the chance to relive my high-school days and â€" at the risk of sounding corny â€" learn something that I've always wanted to learn but haven't had the time to do."